Friday, December 3, 2010

Town without pity, Part 2

CELEBRATION, Fla. — The owner of a failed security business barricaded himself in his soon-to-be foreclosed home, shot at deputies and then killed himself in this well-groomed Central Florida town built by Disney.

The 14-hour standoff came just days after the town's first-ever homicide, unsettling residents who moved to the community for its safety and small-town values. Authorities said the two deaths were not connected.

Craig Foushee, 52, barricaded himself in his home Thursday for more than 14 hours, according to an Osceola County Sheriff's Office report. He shot at deputies several times, but they never returned fire because they couldn't get a clear shot. No deputies were injured.

Court records show Foushee was in the middle of a divorce, and it was apparent that his life was unraveling, neighbors said.

Early Friday, deputies deployed tear gas, entered the home and found Foushee dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On the unusually crisp winter morning, the smell of the tear gas hung in the air on the upscale cul-de-sac. All of the second floor windows — including the third-floor dormers — were either broken or had bullet holes the size of baseballs. At least one streetlight in the shape of a lantern appeared to have been shattered by gunfire.

"Just because this is Celebration doesn't mean everyone's perfect," said Eva Medved, who lived across the street from Foushee. "People die, people get divorced, people get in trouble."

Well, yeah—but I thought the whole purpose behind Celebration was the creation of a community; a return to small-town values with safe, walkable streets. This town has unsavory elements that have clearly run amok!